What makes a winning team? Is it raw talent, star power, or an overflowing budget? Think again. The most successful teams—on the field or in the office—don’t just rely on superstars. They thrive on balance, leadership, and a collective drive that turns a group of individuals into an unstoppable force.
Take the 1972 Miami Dolphins, for example. They achieved the NFL’s only “perfect season” and winning the Super Bowl, not because they were stacked with the league’s biggest names like the Dallas Cowboys or the Pittsburgh Steelers but because they mastered the art of working as a cohesive unit. Their story proves that building a championship team isn’t about chasing stars—it’s about building a system that shines (CBS Sports., 2024).
Of course, they had a handful of notable top tier players, but is that enough to sustain a team with a roster size of 47 athletes? The Dolphins proved it was not the handful that created the “perfect season” on their own, as they maintained top level performance when faced with injuries of those top players.
From the field to the office
Any sport organization can learn from the 1972 Miami Dolphins approach. Achieving your own version of a “perfect season” requires looking beyond the talent of individual team members to the power of balanced responsibilities, strong leadership, attention to detail, and team cohesion. These factors can be cultivated within the organization.
Team Cohesion
In sport, cohesion is described as the tendency for team members to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of achieving goals as well as meeting the emotional needs of team members (Carron et coll., 1985). Research consistently has shown strong relationships between cohesion and success (Carron et coll., 2022). It is something that is fostered continuously within a team, like any skill. How can you develop this skill within your own team?
- Devoting time to casual conversation: While this can happen naturally for teams that are in-person, it should be prompted and encouraged regardless of the team’s setup.
- Attending events or conferences together: Attending an event as a team creates shared learning experiences which spark conversations that break the usual day-to-day scripts.
- Encourage the use of virtual communication tools: Whether your team uses Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, or any other virtual platform – communication should feel seamless among team members.
These activities were selected from Rebecca Knight’s recent HBR article titled, “17 Team-Building Activities for In-Person, Remove, and Hybrid Team”.
Strong Leadership
Leadership style is something to be adapted over time based on the context of the team, and recognizing when and how to adapt is half the battle. Depending on the team you lead – your style may also differ from that of another leader within the organization. Regardless, there are some leadership skills that transcend all contexts:
- Handling feedback: Leaders are in a position where giving and receiving feedback happens on an ongoing basis, both positive and negative. The ability to give feedback clearly and concisely is a skill to be honed. Being specific and constructive, without too much extra fluff, is the best way to go.
- Harness potential over performance: Encouraging and enabling team members to fulfill their potential often includes giving them some freedom. Freedom to be themselves, freedom to fail in new tasks, and the freedom to explore the next step in their careers. The goal is to encourage lifelong learning and avoid complacency.
- Knowing when to delegate: The role of a leader is knowing when to take on responsibility and when to give that responsibility to someone else. Delegation is something every leader needs to do, but it should be based on current priorities and the strengths of the team.
These skills are included in Forbes’ article “10 Most Important Leadership Skills For The 21st Century Workplace (And How To Develop Them)”, written by Bernard Marr.
Attention to Detail
Not everyone needs to have a high attention to detail, but understanding the need for it within a team is key for everyone. Attention to the details is what takes athletes on the field of play from good to great, especially in high pressure situations – the same can be said for any team (Oudejans et coll., 2011). How can you foster higher attention to detail in your team?
- Establish clear processes: Articulating the steps to complete tasks within the team, including who is responsible for each step, not only promotes attention to detail, but also ensures knowledge transfer within the team over time.
- Communicate the benefits: Teams are more efficient in the long run when there is a high attention to detail throughout the process, as it limits the iterations of deliverables to get to the final product.
- Know your team: Attention to detail is not natural for everyone, but knowing who has the knack for details can make assigning responsibilities easier. As with anything, playing to the strengths of the team goes a long way.
These tips were derived from this article, titled “7 Areas Where Attention to Detail Can Create an Effective Organization”.
While these tips likely won’t give you the “perfect season” of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, they can kickstart your team to become a super-team, with more than just a few top talents at the table.
Looking for more?
To go beyond and dive into more leadership best practices and the latest research, Canada’s national sport information resource centre is on your team – check out our curated collection of Leadership and Governance Resources now